Stampede!

Cross-posted:TobyToons.com

Severance Tax Modernization: One More Step In The Right Direction

Governor Kasich's proposed income tax reduction, set off by a modernization of Ohio's severance tax on the oil & gas industry, has gotten a lot of attention. Whether from the press, other elected officials, or whomever, there's no lack of opinions on the matter.

But there's one certainty in the debate: Ohio's tax climate is unfriendly to business and needs reform.

A study by the Tax Foundation found that, in 2012, Ohio ranked 39th overall in the nation for our business tax climate. The most significant driver of that ranking? Individual income tax. Ohio ranks an abysmally low 42nd in the nation for the burden state and local governments put on families via the individual income tax.

But it doesn't end there.  Such a heavy income tax burden discourages small-business owners from growing jobs and investing in this state.  Since many small businesses are pass-through entities (sole proprietorships, limited liability companies and partnerships, S-corps, etc.), these companies pay their taxes at income tax rates.

And with small businesses creating two out of every three jobs, employing 48% of Ohio's workforce and making up more than 98% of Ohio businesses, that's a demographic Ohio cannot afford to alienate.

Like it or not, that's the framework for the debate on Ohio's severance tax.  And that's exactly why we at GOHP & 3BP wholeheartedly support this proposal.

White House: Obama "too busy" to focus on jobs, but had time for over 100 fundraisers

In an election year that is almost entirely focused on unemployment and how to get more Americans back to work, Barack Obama hasn't met with his own "Jobs Council", comprised of corporate and labor leaders from around the country, for six months now. Politico reports:

President Barack Obama’s Jobs Council hasn’t met publicly for six months, even as the issue of job creation dominates the 2012 election.

When asked why Obama hasn't been more focused on meeting with the council he created and following their recommendations, White House spokesman Jay Carney replied that he is just too busy.

"There’s no specific reason, except the president has obviously got a lot on his plate," Carney said during the daily White House briefing. "But he continues to solicit and receive advice from numerous folks outside the administration about the economy about ideas that he can act on with Congress or administratively to help the economy grow and help create jobs."

Really? Let's take a look at what Obama has had on his plate in the last six months.

Unions trying to manipulate redistricting in Ohio like they did in California

You may have heard of another signature gathering campaign going on in Ohio called "Voters First". On their website, they claim to be "led by a coalition of nonpartisan groups and people from across Ohio." This is such a lie, it's laughable.

In fact, you already know who Voter's First is, by the name We Are Ohio. It is an organization led by Occupy Wall Street supporters such as the SEIU, OEA, AFL-CIO and AFSCME. Quite a set of "non-partisan" groups there, eh?

They are proposing a constitutional amendment that will change Ohio's redistricting process to one they claim is non-partisan. What they don't tell you, is that its almost a carbon copy of a system that was put in place in California. Democrats manipulated and controlled the system in California to ensure that the "non-partisan" citizens' commission contained a majority of extremely liberal Democrats.

Back in December, Pro Publica blew the lid off the how California Democrats gamed the process from the beginning.

Time to Panic in Chicago

For weeks now, Obama 2012 has been throwing everything in sight at Mitt Romney in the desperate hope that these efforts could effectively destroy Romney's viability.  From debunked pro-Obama media charges of rampant outsourcing, to invented outrage over tax returns, and even baseless and reckless cries of 'Felon!', the Chicago smear machine has been working in overdrive.

But today, we received a glimpse into just what it gained for them: Absolutely Nothing.

The Reality Of Sherrod Brown's FOP Endorsement

So a union endorses a Democrat and somehow that’s making headline news? Even the liberal blogs are making it a big deal:

Of course, that statement sounds more impressive than it factually is. Just take a look at the U.S. Senate races in Ohio since 1988. The FOP endorsed candidate is in BOLD:

POLL: Which VP Pick Gives Romney The Edge?

With the news coming out that Mitt Romney might be revealing his pick for VP as early as this week, we wanted to get your opinion on the matter.  So, we ask you not who do you want to see as Romney's vice president, but rather which pick gives the GOP nominee the biggest advantage in this election?


We've compiled our Top 10 list for you to choose from; however, these are certainly not the only possible picks.  If you have someone else in mind, please feel free to leave his or her name in the comments below.

And rest assured there are no wrong answers... Except for maybe this guy:

Sherrod Brown: WITLESS

LeBron James doesn't have too many friends in the Buckeye State. After he smacked Cleveland in the face two years ago, blindsiding the Cavaliers organization and weakening the surrounding economy by an estimated $200 million, it's easy to see why the man isn't so well liked.

Yep, it's easy to say that, in Ohio, there are few men more despised than LeBron James.

Unless, of course, you're a do-nothing career politician bent on killing Ohio jobs.

Plunderbund gets it wrong again

Plunderbund is the major left-wing blog in Ohio. And they have a burning hatred for Governor Kasich, the man who prevented their beloved Ted Strickland from winning a second term as governor. In their obsession to demonize all things Kasich, they often end making fools of themselves.

Today, they did it again. They published a "fact check" of the Kasich administration's cost estimates of the increased burden of Medicaid spending on the state budget in the wake of the Obamacare decision. And they blew it. Big time.

"Paging Dr. Freud: the White House is on Line 1"

According to Sigmund Freud, projection is a psychological defense mechanism whereby one "projects" one's own undesirable thoughts, motivations, desires, and feelings onto someone else. Nowhere do we see a better example of projection than in our own president.

Barack Obama seems to have gotten to a point where he is willing to try anything to smear Mitt Romney, including and especially outright lying. But I guess that’s what happens when you have no record to run on. Or more accurately, when your record is composed mainly of broken promises.

But even as he continues his dishonesty about Mitt Romney’s record, he cannot escape one critical fact: Obama is actually the one who is responsible for massive amounts of outsourcing.

From the Washington Post:

According to a study by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, large American companies in 2010 barely added any workers in the United States, increasing their numbers by 0.1 percent, while they expanded their foreign workforce by 1.5 percent.

The Cleveland School overhaul deserves our support, including the levy

This summer, we saw a very encouraging example of true bipartisanship in Cleveland.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District is in very serious trouble. Cleveland's population has declined, while expenses have soared. The district ranks 608 out of 611 statewide in academic performance, and was looking at a $60 million shortfall.

Mayor Frank Jackson, a Democrat, knew that bold action was required, and came up with an aggressive plan to save the schools for the city's kids. He immediately found an ally in Governor Kasich, who worked with the state legislature to make it happen. Democrats, Republicans and even the teachers union came together to hammer out a plan that seemed unlikely.

Governor Kasich and Democrat State Senator Nina Turner (Plain Dealer Photo - Joshua Gunter)

Ted Strickland stars in new Romney commercial

Because he certainly can't run on his own failed, pathetic record, Barack Obama has been outright lying about Mitt Romney outsourcing jobs while at Bain Capital. Today, Romney responded with a new ad that shows how multiple media outlets have investigated and called out the Obama campaign for the dishonest ads.

In part of the ad, Hillary Clinton scolds Obama for lying about her during their 2008 primary. And our old pal Ted is standing right behind her nodding enthusiastically while she yells "Shame on you, Barack Obama!" Watch.



Poor Ted Strickland. First he makes a fool of himself by telling Ohioans that Obama isn't trying to kill coal, and now he lands himself in a Romney commercial.

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Voter ID: Mexico's electoral system is superior to America's

To some people, the idea that any part of Mexico's political system is superior to the United States is crazy. However, when it comes to our different methods of conducting elections, it's very true.

The Mexican electoral system is perhaps the most fraud proof in the world. America's, by comparison, is a mess. Our system is different from state to state, and is open to all kinds of fraud.

It wasn't always this way. In fact, Mexico's system used to be a corrupt mess. The 1988 presidential election in Mexico was plagued with scandal and widespread corruption. Not wanting to put the country through another ordeal, the major parties agreed to create a non-partisan and non-governmental electoral commission that would conduct the voting process, and ensure honest and fair elections. In 1990, the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) was created, and the first presidential election was held under the new rules in 2000.

David Arredondo is Vice-Chairman of the Lorain County Republican Party, and is himself the son of Mexican immigrants. In May, he testified before a committee held in Cleveland that included Senator Sherrod Brown. The following is an excerpt of his testimony to the panel.

The electoral system created by IFE is open and transparent. Every eligible Mexican citizen has a tamper-proof photo-ID card with a thumbprint and an embossed hologram. All voters are required to vote in their neighborhoods and in 2005, the law was amended to allow for ”external,” or out of country absentee voting. There is no such thing as a provisional ballot. All elections are held on Sundays. Mexico is a relatively poor country yet does not lower standards to allow for the poor to register and vote as is done in America. No excuses are made while setting a high standard for all with no discernible drop in voter participation.

FACT: Local Governments Are Adding Jobs Under The Kasich Budget

Yep. You read that right. Since Governor John Kasich’s budget took effect, local governments have added 5,600 jobs. Incidentally, they lost 31,300 during his predecessor’s tenure.

Of course, Democrats choose to see it another way:

“Despite this growing revenue and all these new policy changes in the mid-biennium review, nothing is being done to curb the growing financial crisis for schools and local communities that was brought on by last year’s historically deep state budget cuts,” said House Minority Leader Armond Budish, D-Beachwood.

“Continuing to starve schools and local communities hurts middle-class families and undercuts our economic recovery.”

Of course, the Columbus Dispatch highlighted this flawed liberal logic when they excoriated legislative Democrats for wanting to spend every bit of our rainy day fund for the second straight biennium:

Keeping Up With Our Favorite Pirate

We got some exciting news yesterday when our favorite pirate sent us a direct message asking us to follow him on Twitter!

Unfortunately, Mr. Redfern must have forgotten that he has blocked us. 

Not to mention, the "direct message" is nothing more than a faked email from Twitter, stealing their copyrighted logo and formats.

But what would you expect from a pirate if not to cheat and steal?

Did Democrats stage a fake fight at Ohio GOP rally?

Last Thursday, there was a rally in Parma, Ohio for the Romney campaign. The event was headlined by speeches from former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.

Richard Brysac puts a water bottle in the mouth Al Neal (right) (Photo credit: Scott Shaw/The Plain Dealer)

The event was interrupted by several union and Democrat protestors who began chanting "Pawlenty go home!" during Pawlenty's speech. These classy folks showed up disguised as supporters, carrying Romney signs and even wearing Romney garb. They deliberately started this interruption in front of media cameras.

What happened next was reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer and instantly went viral among the moonbat left blogosphere. A physical confrontation started as a result of the chanting.

Democrats Have A Callous Disregard For The Facts

Ohio's rainy day fund is growing thanks to the fiscal responsibility and restraint of the Kasich administration.

The state ended fiscal year 2012 with $235 million in its pocket, and the governor is socking it away for a rainy day.

Healthy tax-revenue growth and under-spending in Medicaid left the state with a surplus when the books closed on June 30. The state rainy-day fund, which had just 89 cents in January 2011, now has $482 mil-lion — 1.8 percent of the general revenue fund.

Of course, the 89 cents the State had in their to begin with was generously left by Kasich's predecessor, the disgraced, failed and all-around unsuccessful Ted Strickland, after he raided the fund to "balance" his last budget in 2009 (read, kick the can down the road).

But ever since reports started to come out that Ohio might end the year in the black--something liberals apparently aren't too keen on--Democrats have been begging that the governor spend any and all dollars they might have:

Another Stark Reminder of Ted Strickland’s Failings

As if his already numerous failings weren’t enough, this weekend saw further news of former Governor Ted Strickland’s legacy: 1 in 5 Ohioans saw their income drop in 2010, Strickland's last year in office, by 25% or more.

A record 1.8 million Ohioans saw their household incomes decrease by 25 percent or more in 2010, according to a new report... 

What’s worse, nearly half of Ohioans lack any financial cushion when unexpected difficulties arise:

In Ohio, about 27.3 percent of households have little to no financial cushion to protect against unemployment or other financial emergencies, according to the Corporation for Enterprise Development. This was up from 22.6 percent in 2009.

When homes and cars are excluded as assets — which is sensible because they are not easily converted into cash — about 43.6 percent of Ohio households lack a financial safety net, the group said.

Little more need be said to explain just how badly Strickland failed Ohioans during his tenure as Governor. From irresponsible budgeting to the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, failed government programs to destroying Ohioans’ financial security, there’s almost nothing in the Buckeye State that Strickland didn’t negatively affect.

You know, other than editorial board material.

Cross-posted at GOHP Blog.

We Are All Witnesses

Speaking at a recent fundraiser in Florida, Barack Obama extended his congratulations to the city of Miami for having the world champion Miami..."Heats". Mascot confusion aside, his affinity for Miami and its players shouldn’t come as a surprise.

After all, four years ago, LeBron James urged Ohioans to vote for Obama, saying, “I think all of us want to see a change. And in order for us to see a change, we have to get out and vote.” He then added, “Thank you Cleveland. Of course you all know I love you all of course. I love Ohio and I ain’t going nowhere.”

Of course we know that . . .

President Obama has a similar track record when it comes to keeping his promises. He promised, for example, that the stimulus would keep unemployment below 8 percent. But today, we’ve seen over 40 straight months of unemployment at or above that rate.

A Step In The Right Direction?

Today in Ohio, President Obama addressed a jobs report that Reuters called “dismal.” His verdict?

The jobs report was a “step in the right direction.”

Really? Let’s take a look at the numbers.

The economy requires 125,000 jobs a month just to keep up with population growth. Anything less, and the economy is going backwards. Today’s job numbers? 80,000 jobs created, even less than projected.

144,000 more African Americans went without a job in June, raising the unemployment rate of the black community to 14.4 percent.

Hispanic unemployment is at 11 percent.

The so-called U-6 number—the unemployment rate that includes those workers that are so discouraged they’ve given up looking for work—rose to 14.9 percent.

Millions of Americans remain out of work, and the economy shows signs of slowing. These are not steps in the right direction. The economy is not “doing fine.” If the President cannot see that here in Ohio, he doesn’t deserve a second term in office.